The memory lane – a short story

Mindy had been cleaning out her attic when an old photograph fell to the floor and caught her attention. She picked up the old photo, dusted it off and stared at it. A wave of nostalgia hit her with the force of a speeding train. Her memories took her back to a time when her son Colin was still with them.

It had been a bright summer day. Mindy and Edgar had taken little Colin to the beach. It was one of the most fun days they ever had together as a family. The family of three had basked in the sun, played in the water until they were drenched from head to toe, built and smashed numerous sand castles, chased after tiny crabs and even managed to fly a kite!

The memories kept flowing into her mind, one after another, like the never-ending waves in the sea. It had been years since they had lost their only son to the busy “routine” of a corporate job, far from home.

Mindy and Edgar missed having him around. The pandemic had put an end to his occasional visits… snatched away all possibilities of him returning home until things were somewhat under control. Though Mindy tried to coax Colin into coming home to them, he didn’t give in. He didn’t want to put his parents at risk.

To Mindy, Colin would always be her little boy. She yearned to see him in person. Video calls just weren’t the same. She wanted to be able to hold him and plant a kiss on his forehead, just like how she used to do when he was a little boy. She wanted to talk to him without having to worry about WiFi connectivity issues or headphones troubles. With a sigh, she held the photo close to her heart. Tears spilled from her eyes and the sob she had been supressing finally escaped.

Maybe one day, he will be able to visit them. One day, soon enough.

Author’s Note:

This post is dedicated to all parents and children who are far apart and have no means to be together due to the pandemic and all its dire consequences.

This story was written in response to KL Caley’s weekly #writephoto prompt. The challenge is to use the given photo prompt as an inspiration to create a post on your own blog… poetry, prose, humour… light or dark, whatever you choose, as long as it is fairly family-friendly. Thank you, KL for hosting this challenge. Click on the link to know more about this challenge and to read the entries by my fellow bloggers.

For visually challenged writers, the image shows 2 large pairs of wellies and a child pair of wellies on a sandy beach.

Image courtesy: KL Caley

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